Discipline

4 Reasons Churches Don’t Practice Church Discipline

By Jeremy Kimble | 11.02.2017

Despite what some people think, church discipline isn’t an unloving, invasive act, perpetrated by wicked people.

Mailbag #64: How to Honor Exasperating Parents; Responding to an Excommunicated Member

By Jonathan Leeman | 10.13.2017

— How should adult children respond to the unrealistic demands of their parents? — An excommunicated member continues to come and participate in the Lord’s Supper. What should we do?

Episode 20: On the Reformation

By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 9Marks Journal: The Reformation and Your Church | 09.26.2017

Jonathan Leeman interviews Mark Dever on the Reformation and its usefulness for Christians today

Two Views on Church Discipline: Protestant vs. Roman Catholic

By Jeremy Kimble | 9Marks Journal: The Reformation and Your Church | 09.26.2017

How does a Protestant understanding of church discipline differ from Roman Catholicism’s?

Two Views on Church Authority: Protestant vs. Roman Catholic

By Gregg R. Allison | 9Marks Journal: The Reformation and Your Church | 09.26.2017

Think of a three-legged stool. Now imaginatively label one of those legs “Scripture,” label the second leg “Tradition,” and label the third leg “Magisterium.”

Book Review: Church Order in the New Testament, by Eduard Schweizer

Review by Simeon Williams | 09.11.2017

Schweizer’s arguments for a perpetually developing polity are unpersuasive because they depend on faulty arguments regarding differences among the apostles.

Episode 17: On How to Receive and Dismiss Members

By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 06.06.2017

One of the most important and time-consuming tasks for a church and its pastors involves receiving and releasing members. And yet, it’s almost never talked about in books on the church or in seminary.

Lessons on Pastoring from Martin Bucer

By Eric Beach | 05.04.2017

Martin Bucer (1491–1551) isn’t as well known as John Calvin or Martin Luther, but during the 16th century Bucer’s writings and reform of the church in Strasbourg influenced many

Mailbag #56: What Makes a “True” Church?

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.17.2017

— Is it okay to tell my church members, “You should never vote for a pro-abortion candidate”? — Would you say churches that don’t practice membership or discipline are not true churches?

Mailbag #55: Explaining the “Care List”; When a Member Marries a Non-Christian

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.10.2017

— Can you explain your church’s “care list”? — Does marrying an unbeliever warrant church discipline?

Mark Dever Interviews Jonathan Leeman about “Don’t Fire Your Church Members”

By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 02.07.2017

Would you believe it if someone told you church structure actually plays a crucial role in your individual discipleship?

Mailbag #50: Does Genesis 2 Call Women to “Help” All Men?

By Jonathan Leeman | 02.03.2017

— Looking at Genesis 2:18–20, would you say women are designed to help their husbands or everyone with a special focus on their husbands?

Mailbag #47: Applying Paul’s “Able to Teach” Qualification; Confidentiality between Pastors and Members?

By Jonathan Leeman | 01.06.2017

— How gifted does someone have to be in order to be considered “able to teach”? — Can church members appeal to a kind of “pastor-member confidentiality”?

Churches in Great Britain: Living with the Legacy

By Mike Gilbart-Smith | 9Marks Journal: Healthy Churches around the World | 12.12.2016

Conservative evangelical churches in Britain benefit from the legacy of faithful expositors of the Word. However, clarity on the centrality of the gospel is accompanied by confusion on the importance of secondary matters.

Churches in India: A People “Formed for God”

By Aubrey Sequeira | 9Marks Journal: Healthy Churches around the World | 12.12.2016

As a result of a low view of preaching for many years, the health of churches in India has suffered. Yet through a growing number of faithful shepherds, faithful preaching, and your prayers, the Lord may bring to India the reformation its churches need.